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For all its virtues, the Internet has made the task of a band being heard a damn sight harder than it was yesteryear. With the saturation of new music filling the ears and inboxes of labels up and down the land, how do you stand out and come to make the hallowed pages that are devoted to our Ones To Watch? Well, aspiring artists listen up: for Manchester four-piece Patterns it was by taking control.

“The basic premise is that it isn’t restricted to music,” explains frontman Ciaran McAuley. “There are so many other factors involved in the process which add to the performance - be it live or on record - that can add as much to the experience of seeing a band as the music itself.”

For Patterns and their electronic shoegaze this means there is a philosophy of taking hands-on management - from virtually all aspects of production to collaborating with visual artists at live shows.

“The visuals are something we’re very interested in,” he adds. “We work with local artists who use old VHS technology and video feedback loops to create the effects we use at gigs. We try to play on the psychedelic aspect of our sound and the visuals add a totalising experience for anyone who is present. When I think back to the gigs that have really stood out, it’s been the ones that have utilised the visual element. An effective combination of audio and visual can take you on a journey and resonate far better with an audience.”

With an album currently being written, and a summer release on the cards, the warmer months - no matter how far away they seem right now - are looking like they’re made for Patterns to start throwing shapes. Keep your eye and ears peeled.

Priced at £20 per day, the multi-venue music festival offers incredible value for money while giving music fans the opportunity to catch future stadium fillers and the most exciting acts around in intimate surrounds.